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Authors: Micqui Miller
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Brian's—Michael Mahoney, the Seventeenth or something like that."
Caroline gritted her teeth. Ramona was rambling. "I guess I'm confused."
Ramona sat up and looked around, as if to make sure no one eavesdropped, then leaned closer to Caroline. "It's more than confusing. Sometimes I think they're all a little loony—
except for Brian, of course, but then he's kinda the cause of it."
"Sorry. You've lost me."
73
Sweet Caroline
by Micqui Miller
Ramona dropped her voice to a whisper. "Okay, I'm going to give you the quickie version. Brian hates it if I talk about it, but this is what I know."
At last.
"Way back, like sixteen-hundred something, the Mahoneys and another family, the Kellys I think, lived in the same county in Ireland. The Mahoneys were the ne'er-do-wells, and the Kellys, the movers and shakers. Dustan Kelly was the eldest son and betrothed to the most beautiful girl in the village."
Caroline raised her eyes to the heavens. This tale was right out of the Brothers Grimm.
"The night before they were to marry, Dustan's bride ran off with Michael. Dustan hunted them down and tried to take her home. Michael and Dustan got into a fight, she tried to stop it. They both fired and one of them accidentally killed her. Michael blamed Dustan and Dustan blamed Michael. When all was said and done, Dustan was dead at Michael's hand. Dustan's mother went berserk at the news, and put a curse on the Mahoneys."
Caroline didn't even try to hide her disbelief. "The Mahoneys buy into this story? It's sounds like a fairy tale."
"Oh, it gets better," Ramona assured her. "Except there's no happily ever after." She pointed to the can of soda Caroline had opened for her. "You wanna pass it over. These chips are salty."
After Caroline handed her the soda, Ramona continued,
"No one seems to remember what the curse is word for word, but it had something to do with ending the Mahoney line, and 74
Sweet Caroline
by Micqui Miller
that the firstborn son would die by fire. Of course that wasn't much of a stretch since they were into demolitions even then. Apparently, someone died every time they rubbed two sticks together."
Caroline stopped Ramona. "Wait a minute. What do you mean, even then? I thought Mick was a scientist. And surely Brian..."
"Oh, Mick is. But Gabe, their middle brother, and all the uncles and cousins—they're deep into the family business. They're probably the top demolition experts in the country, maybe even the world. Mick gets involved only after a project goes sour. Brian doesn't care about the business at all. He knows he'll never get rich programming, but give him a computer, and he's happy."
"Finish telling me about the curse," Caroline said halting Ramona's digression.
"Okay, like I said, the Kelly matriarch puts a curse on the first born Mahoney male. So like everybody did in those days, the Mahoneys go to a soothsayer to find a way to reverse the curse." Ramona belched, covered her mouth and giggled. "I guess that's what you'd call it."
Caroline shrugged. "I'm clueless when it comes to curses."
"Anyway, the soothsayer tells them the only way to reverse the curse is to keep naming their kids—all of them—
Michael. A continuum, I guess you'd call it. That way, no matter how many blew themselves up, there'd always be another Michael left to continue the line."
"Obviously the soothsayer was right." Caroline laughed.
"Everywhere I turn, I meet another Mahoney." 75
Sweet Caroline
by Micqui Miller
"They've lost a lot of them." Ramona's voice turned somber. "Even Mick and Brian's dad. That's why Mick will never marry—at least not until he's too old to father a child. He's the firstborn, and he honestly believes that's the only way the curse will end."
"Wait." She stopped Ramona. "How did their father die?"
"This is where it gets dicey. Don't you dare tell anyone I told you. Brian would kill me."
"I won't say a word."
"Mick's the eldest brother. His name's Michael Gabriel. Next oldest is
Caroline gritted her teeth. Ramona was rambling. "I guess I'm confused."
Ramona sat up and looked around, as if to make sure no one eavesdropped, then leaned closer to Caroline. "It's more than confusing. Sometimes I think they're all a little loony—
except for Brian, of course, but then he's kinda the cause of it."
"Sorry. You've lost me."
73
Sweet Caroline
by Micqui Miller
Ramona dropped her voice to a whisper. "Okay, I'm going to give you the quickie version. Brian hates it if I talk about it, but this is what I know."
At last.
"Way back, like sixteen-hundred something, the Mahoneys and another family, the Kellys I think, lived in the same county in Ireland. The Mahoneys were the ne'er-do-wells, and the Kellys, the movers and shakers. Dustan Kelly was the eldest son and betrothed to the most beautiful girl in the village."
Caroline raised her eyes to the heavens. This tale was right out of the Brothers Grimm.
"The night before they were to marry, Dustan's bride ran off with Michael. Dustan hunted them down and tried to take her home. Michael and Dustan got into a fight, she tried to stop it. They both fired and one of them accidentally killed her. Michael blamed Dustan and Dustan blamed Michael. When all was said and done, Dustan was dead at Michael's hand. Dustan's mother went berserk at the news, and put a curse on the Mahoneys."
Caroline didn't even try to hide her disbelief. "The Mahoneys buy into this story? It's sounds like a fairy tale."
"Oh, it gets better," Ramona assured her. "Except there's no happily ever after." She pointed to the can of soda Caroline had opened for her. "You wanna pass it over. These chips are salty."
After Caroline handed her the soda, Ramona continued,
"No one seems to remember what the curse is word for word, but it had something to do with ending the Mahoney line, and 74
Sweet Caroline
by Micqui Miller
that the firstborn son would die by fire. Of course that wasn't much of a stretch since they were into demolitions even then. Apparently, someone died every time they rubbed two sticks together."
Caroline stopped Ramona. "Wait a minute. What do you mean, even then? I thought Mick was a scientist. And surely Brian..."
"Oh, Mick is. But Gabe, their middle brother, and all the uncles and cousins—they're deep into the family business. They're probably the top demolition experts in the country, maybe even the world. Mick gets involved only after a project goes sour. Brian doesn't care about the business at all. He knows he'll never get rich programming, but give him a computer, and he's happy."
"Finish telling me about the curse," Caroline said halting Ramona's digression.
"Okay, like I said, the Kelly matriarch puts a curse on the first born Mahoney male. So like everybody did in those days, the Mahoneys go to a soothsayer to find a way to reverse the curse." Ramona belched, covered her mouth and giggled. "I guess that's what you'd call it."
Caroline shrugged. "I'm clueless when it comes to curses."
"Anyway, the soothsayer tells them the only way to reverse the curse is to keep naming their kids—all of them—
Michael. A continuum, I guess you'd call it. That way, no matter how many blew themselves up, there'd always be another Michael left to continue the line."
"Obviously the soothsayer was right." Caroline laughed.
"Everywhere I turn, I meet another Mahoney." 75
Sweet Caroline
by Micqui Miller
"They've lost a lot of them." Ramona's voice turned somber. "Even Mick and Brian's dad. That's why Mick will never marry—at least not until he's too old to father a child. He's the firstborn, and he honestly believes that's the only way the curse will end."
"Wait." She stopped Ramona. "How did their father die?"
"This is where it gets dicey. Don't you dare tell anyone I told you. Brian would kill me."
"I won't say a word."
"Mick's the eldest brother. His name's Michael Gabriel. Next oldest is
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